SENTENCES

SENTENCES

1. SENTENCE FUNCTIONS

   • DECLARATIVE: statement of fact/opinion
   • INTERROGATIVE: a question
   • IMPERATIVE: a command/order
   • EXCLAMATIVE: expresses strong feelings/emotions.

2. SENTENCE TYPES

   • MINOR SENTENCE: aren't really sentences as they don't have a subject and a verb. e.g. 'No parking.', 'Yes, whatever.', 'Happy now?', 'Absolutely.', 'Sam didn't.'
     • Effect: they are common in spontaneous speech where they mark informality. In written texts, they may be reflecting informality, can make understanding easier and speedy or can be used as an eye-catching headline.
   • SIMPLE SENTENCE: a main clause, there is a subject + verb, and makes sense on its own. e.g. 'I listen.', 'She peeled a grape.' 'Don't believe the newspapers.'
     • Effect: simplify statements, make statements/instructions easier to grasp, can be dramatic or punchy, can clarify and summarise more complex points made before, can express irony and disgust.
   • COMPOUND SENTENCE: 2 simple sentences (coordinate clauses) joined together, which make sense on their own and are joined together with a co-ordinating conjunction. e.g. and, but, or
     • Effect: 'but' can show contrast, 'and' is simple chaining, while 'or' shows alternatives or exceptions.
   • COMPLEX SENTENCE: a relationship of dependency as it's made up of a main clause (simple sentence) and a subordinate clause (which doesn't make sense on its own). The 2 are joined together with a subordinating conjunction.
     • Effect: these can suggest reason, concession, time, place, conditions and comparison.
   • COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE: a mega sentence that has both a coordinating conjunction and a subordinating conjunction e.g. 'Kate wasn't well AND Bill was sick, SO they both went home.'
     • Effect: same effect as compound sentences and complex sentences altogether, in one lengthy bit of detail.

3. CLAUSES & CONJUNCTIONS

   • MAIN CLAUSE: stands on its own (also a simple sentence) e.g. 'Mary loves mint sauce.'/'I went to the Post Office.'
   • CO-ORDINATE CLAUSES: main clauses which have been joined together with a co-ordinating conjunction. (see complex sentence) Generally more common in 'everyday' talk than subordinate clauses are.
     • CO-ORDINATING CONJUNCTION: words that join co-ordinating clauses together e.g. 'but', 'and', 'or'.
     • Examples: 'I have work AND I have to go to an exam.' 'I have work BUT I have to go to an exam.' 'I can go to work or I can go to my exam.'
   • SUBORDINATE CLAUSE: can't stand on their own and are linked to a main clause with a subordinating conjunction. For a subordinate clause to make sense. there must be a main clause and a subordinate conjunction. The more frequently subordination occurs, the higher the register of the text.
     • SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION: words that join a main clause and a subordinate clause together. The subordinate clause doesn't make sense without it.
       • Types of subordinates (can also be ADVERBIAL CLAUSES if they provide adverbial info!)
         • Time: after, as, before, until, when, while. 'I left home BEFORE it started to rain.'
         • Purpose: as, because, for, since. e.g. 'I was late for the interview BECAUSE I missed the bus.'
         • Place: where, wherever. 'I'll call you WHEREVER you are'.
         • Contrast: whereas, however, although, albeit. ' love cats WHEREAS my mum is scared of them.'
         • Concession: although, even though, though. e.g. 'ALTHOUGH it's raining, it isn't cold.'
         • Condition: or, if, unless, in case, as long as. e.g. 'IF you touch that, it will hurt.'
         • Comparison: as if, as though, like. e.g. 'It looks AS IF he's exhausted.'